Domestic irons

Abstract

A domestic manually operable iron intended for use without an ironing board comprises a sole plate ( 3 ) containing suction apertures ( 7 ) and a fan ( 8 ) driven by means of a motor ( 9 ) so that, in use, a fabric can be held against the sole plate ( 3 ) by the suction effect of air passing through the apertures ( 7 ).

1 . A manually operable domestic iron comprising a sole plate for contact with fabric to be ironed, a plurality of suction apertures provided in said sole plate, means for drawing ambient air through said suction apertures via a fabric when in contact with said sole plate, whereby in use the fabric is held in contact with said sole plate by suction, and means for applying heat to said fabric in contact with said sole plate.  
     
     
         2 . An iron according to  claim 1 , said iron including means for generating steam, and wherein said heat applying means comprises a plurality of steam exit apertures provided in said sole plate and arranged to discharge steam from said steam generating means.  
     
     
         3 . An iron according to  claim 2  wherein said suction apertures are provided in an array around an outer peripheral margin of said sole plate and said steam exit apertures are located in an area of the sole plate bounded by said array of suction apertures.  
     
     
         4 . An iron according to any one of claims  1 - 3  wherein said sole plate is generally circular and the said means for drawing air into said suction aperture comprises a fan arrangement housed vertically in a short cylindrical body.  
     
     
         5 . An iron according to  claim 4  as appended to  claim 2  wherein said sole plate has a beak or nose containing suction apertures and steam exit apertures.  
     
     
         6 . An iron according to any one of claims  1 - 5  including means for heating said sole plate.  
     
     
         7 . An iron according to  claim 6  as appended to  claim 2 , wherein said steam generating means includes means for directing a flow of water from a reservoir to said sole plate.  
     
     
         8 . An iron according to  claim 6  or  7 , including means for controlling the heating means to vary the temperature of the sole plate.  
     
     
         9 . An iron according to  claim 2  or any one of claims  3 - 6  or  8  as appended thereto, wherein said steam generating means comprises a steam chamber arranged within a body portion of the iron and containing heating means and means for conducting water from a reservoir to said heating means, and wherein the arrangement is such that said means for drawing ambient air through said suction apertures is arranged to discharge said air through said steam exit apertures together with steam discharged from said steam chamber and entrained within the air flowing from said suction apertures to said steam exit apertures.  
     
     
         10 . An iron according to  claim 8 , wherein the iron includes a further air inlet vent in the body of the iron, and said means for drawing ambient air comprises a fan having an air inlet selectively couplable to said air suction apertures and/or said further air inlet, and having an outlet coupled to said steam exit apertures.